The best of health

January's resolution-inspired stampede to gyms is well underway, but this year there are deals to tempt even the most entrenched couch potato. Taster sessions let you have a go at new activities, so think beyond the gym to team sports or dance classes if you prefer fresh air or want the promise of post-exercise pub companions.

Health club chains have some of the best January sales because, at this time of year, paying £40-£70 or more a month tests wallets more than willpower. Year-long contracts are no longer the norm, with some deals that let you sign on month-by-month or switch clubs if you move. Shop around to save on joining fees. Free membership is the January special at Cannons (0870 780 8182, www.cannons.co.uk). There are 16 clubs within the M25 and two deals on offer. At the 12 outer-London venues, the first month's membership is free. And at the four central locations (City, Covent Garden, West End, Bloomsbury) the annual membership fee is being waived.

At LA Fitness (0870 990 6998, www.lafitness.co.uk) they're encouraging friends to get in shape together by paying one full-price membership to get another annual silver membership for free - so split the cost and you're both getting a bargain and a gym buddy. This new members' promotion runs until the end of January and includes a waiver on the usual joining fee. Piccadilly and Leadenhall branches are excluded, but that still leaves 22 locations around London.

There are loads of great deals to tempt you off the sofa and into sport this month. And with everything from hip-hop lessons to group runs on offer, you don't even have to feel worthy about it.

Holmes Place (for locations visit www.holmesplace.com) are so confident about their new non-members weight-loss programme that they're putting their money where your mouth is. You pay from £130 (as a non-club member) to join the Inchloss Training (it) plan and the eight-week course includes induction, three hours of personalised training, exercise and nutrition guidance, plus feedback. You also get a goodie bag with a water bottle, headphones and padlock (presumably for the fridge) and access to all classes and fitness facilities. If you haven't lost at least 5lb after eight weeks, your money is refunded.

At Esporta's 17 London clubs you select a new member's pack with £100-worth of vouchers to suit your lifestyle. The family pack contains passes for the gym's crèche, the health and beauty version gives access to spa facilities and the fitness pack allows you free personal training sessions. In February they're planning to launch slimmers', smokers' and new mothers' programmes. www.esporta.com (08707 390039).

Fitness Exchange's 10 London clubs are also offering £100 of vouchers to new members - valid for extras such as personal trainer, sunbed or guest passes. For locations visit www.fitness-exchange.net. In addition, the normal £150 one-off joining fee is reduced to a £1 charity donation.

Meanwhile, at Fitness First (45 clubs in London and some of the lowest rates around, 01202 845000, www.fitnessfirst.com) expect up to half-price discounts on the £100 joining fee and a starter pack including rucksack, holiday discount vouchers and guest passes.

If you hate gyms, sign on to Nike Jumpstart (www.nikewomen.com/uk), which runs until the end of March. Aimed squarely at women, it's the second time this health promotion has been organised, and Denise Lewis and Paula Radcliffe have helped plan the cross-training and running sessions. You can plan your own online training schedule incorporating a variety of free or discounted sports taster sessions - including home-based exercise and group runs.

For exercise that might improve your pulling power, try dancing. At Pineapple Dance Studio in Covent Garden you can start off with a day membership (£1-£4) then join one of 180 weekly classes ranging from ballet to belly dancing (usually £5). Unorthodox choices on the 2004 programme include Electro Funk, an hour-long class featuring a mix of street-dance and body-popping. The gentler option is Indian dance, based on yoga and martial arts, and featuring controlled movements that aid breathing, suppleness and - so they say - brain power. (Pineapple Dance Studios, 7 Langley Street, Covent Garden, WC2. 020-7836 4004, www.pineapple.uk.com).

Another good place for an eastern slant is Triyoga, which recently opened a small studio in Neal's Yard, Covent Garden, for people who can't make it to the Primrose Hill headquarters. The organisation (think of it as London's yoga central) offers over 100 classes - usually £9 an hour - from gentle hatha to action-packed astanga. New classes in January include stress management workshops and a great Sunday evening 'restorative' session, designed to cleanse body and soul after a wild weekend's partying. (Triyoga, 6 Erskine Road, NW3 & 2 Neal's Yard, WC2. 020 7483 3344, www.triyoga.co.uk).